Josh Mulligan (born 12 November 2002) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as either a midfielder or defender for Scottish Premiership club Dundee.[1]

Josh Mulligan
Mulligan during a Dundee warm-up in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-11-12) 12 November 2002 (age 21)
Place of birth Dundee, Scotland
Position(s) Midfielder, Defender
Team information
Current team
Dundee
Number 8
Youth career
Dundee
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019– Dundee 68 (5)
2020Cove Rangers (loan) 8 (0)
2020–2021Peterhead (loan) 0 (0)
2021–2022Peterhead (loan) 19 (3)
International career
2022–2024 Scotland U21 16 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:36, 3 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:45, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

Playing career

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Club

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Mulligan made his first team debut with Dundee in the final game of the 2018–19 season against St Mirren, in which he came on as a substitute.[2][3] Mulligan would feature in the Scottish League Cup the following season.

In January 2020, Mulligan went on loan with Scottish League Two league leaders Cove Rangers until the end of the season.[4] Despite the early curtailment of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cove were declared League Two champions after a resolution to finish the season from the SPFL was passed.[5]

In October 2020, Mulligan signed a new contract with Dundee keeping him at the club until 2023, and immediately joined Scottish League One side Peterhead on a season-long loan.[6] Mulligan suffered an ankle injury early on in his club debut against Dundee United, and in November would undergo surgery that would keep him out until the following season.[7][8]

In June 2021, Mulligan would once again join Peterhead on a season-long loan.[9] Despite this, Mulligan would represent Dundee B against Peterhead in the Scottish Challenge Cup.[10] He would score his first senior goal with the Blue Toon in a 5–0 win against Dumbarton.[11] During his successful 2nd stint with the club, Peterhead teammate and media personality Simon Ferry compared his work-rate to that of Gareth Bale, and described him as "powerful, strong and direct", and as a "Rolls-Royce" footballer.[12][13]

After a successful first half to the season, Mulligan was recalled early by Dundee in January 2022.[14] He would make his first start for the team in February, in an away victory over Heart of Midlothian.[15] Mulligan would score his first goal for Dundee against his former club Peterhead in the Scottish Cup.[16] His first league goal would come in a 3–1 victory over Hibernian.[17]

Mulligan would score the winner for Dundee's first league win of the 2022–23 season in an away win over Raith Rovers.[18] He followed that up a week later with a fine strike to seal a 4–2 victory over Arbroath.[19] After injuries to teammates, Mulligan would perform well at right-back in the latter half of the season for the Dark Blues and was a key contributor in Dundee winning the Scottish Championship at season's end.[20]

On 3 June 2023, Dundee announced that Mulligan had signed a new two-year contract, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2025.[21] In October, it was announced Mulligan needed surgery on a hernia which would keep him out for several weeks.[22] Mulligan would return in December and would come in and out of the team until being injured again with a hamstring tear in March 2024 which would keep him out for a month or so.[23]

International

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Mulligan was selected for the Scotland under-21 squad in May 2022.[24] He would make his international debut as a substitute in a goalless draw against Belgium in Group I of the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification.[25] Five days later, he would make his first international start away to Denmark, and played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 draw.[26] In September 2022, Mulligan would score his first international goal in an away friendly against Northern Ireland.[27]

Career statistics

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As of 3 November 2024
Club Season League Scottish Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Dundee 2018–19[28] Scottish Premiership 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2019–20[29] Scottish Championship 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0
2020–21[30] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2021–22[31] Scottish Premiership 11 2 2 1 0 0 13 3
2022–23[32] Scottish Championship 31 2 2 0 6 0 3[a] 0 42 2
2023–24[33] Scottish Premiership 18 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 22 1
2024–25[34] 7 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 12 0
Total 68 5 4 1 18 0 3 0 93 6
Dundee B[b] 2021–22[31] 1 0 1 0
Cove Rangers (loan) 2019–20[29] Scottish League Two 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Peterhead (loan) 2020–21[30] Scottish League One 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Peterhead (loan) 2021–22[31] Scottish League One 19 3 1 0 4 0 0 0 24 3
Career total 95 8 5 1 23 0 4 0 127 9
  1. ^ Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup, in which teams from the SPFL Development League compete against senior clubs

Honours

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Cove Rangers

Dundee

References

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  1. ^ Josh Mulligan at Soccerbase
  2. ^ McDougall, Mark (18 May 2019). "What Dundee debutants were doing one hour after facing St Mirren". Daily Record. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  3. ^ McLauchlin, Brian (18 May 2019). "Dundee 2–3 St Mirren". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Dundee midfielder Mulligan signs on at Cove Rangers for rest of the campaign". Cove Rangers FC. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  5. ^ "SPFL Resolution Approved By Clubs In All Four Divisions". SPFL.co.uk. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Josh signs new deals and moves on loan". Dundee FC. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Dundee United 0 Peterhead 1". peterheadfc.org. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Josh Mulligan not available until 2021". peterheadfc.org. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Lyall and Josh join Peterhead on loan". dundeefc.co.uk. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  10. ^ Cran, George. "Dundee B 1-2 Peterhead: Blue Toon come from behind to knock Dee youngsters out of Challenge Cup". The Courier. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Peterhead v Dumbarton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  12. ^ HEARTS SNATCH DRAMATIC DRAW AT IBROX & SKY HAVE NO SPFL GAMES ON TV🤯| Keeping The Ball On The Ground, retrieved 6 December 2021
  13. ^ Cran, George. "Dundee kid Josh Mulligan responds to 'Rolls-Royce' praise AND Gareth Bale comparison from Peterhead star Si Ferry". The Courier. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Players return from loan". Dundee Football Club - Official Website. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Dundee fight back to move off bottom". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Dundee see off impressive Peterhead". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  17. ^ Cran, George. "Dundee 3-1 Hibs: Charlie Adam screamer caps first victory in 13 as Dee keep slim survival hopes alive". The Courier. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Raith Rovers v Dundee". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  19. ^ "Dundee end Arbroath run in six-goal thriller". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Dundee back in Premiership after eight-goal epic". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Mulligan commits to the Dee". Dundee Football Club - Official Website. 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  22. ^ Cran, George (27 October 2023). "Dundee receive good and bad injury news ahead of Livingston clash as one star set for 'three or four weeks' out". The Courier. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  23. ^ Robertson, Neil (16 March 2024). "Tony Docherty reveals Josh Mulligan injury timeline and Owen Beck fitness hope for Dundee v Rangers clash". The Courier. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  24. ^ "Rangers' Alex Lowry one of five new call-ups by Scotland Under-21s". BBC Sport. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Scotland U21s hold leaders Belgium to 0-0 draw". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  26. ^ "Denmark U21 v Scotland U21". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  27. ^ Lorimer, Scott. "Dundee teen Josh Mulligan stars in Scotland under-21 win - but injury concern hangs over St Johnstone's Adam Montgomery". The Courier. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  28. ^ "Games Played by Josh Mulligan in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  29. ^ a b "Games played by Josh Mulligan in 2019/20". Soccerbase. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  30. ^ a b "Games Played by Josh Mulligan in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  31. ^ a b c "Games Played by Josh Mulligan in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  32. ^ "Games played by Josh Mulligan in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  33. ^ "Games played by Josh Mulligan in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  34. ^ "Games played by Josh Mulligan in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  35. ^ Law, Danny (15 April 2020). "Cove Rangers declared League 2 champions after Dundee vote in favour of SPFL resolution". Press and Journal. Retrieved 16 March 2024.